The year 2018 marked a significant turning point for Compulsion Games. Not only did the studio unveil its second game, but it also joined the ranks of Xbox Game Studios following its acquisition by Microsoft. This transition saw Compulsion leave behind its indie roots to align with notable developers like Playground Games, Undead Labs, and Ninja Theory.
Fast forward seven years, and Compulsion has mostly flown under the radar. The team has been diligently working on its latest project, which has been unveiled as South of Midnight, an action platformer deeply influenced by the rich myths and folklore of the American Deep South. While this new direction was unexpected for the studio known for We Happy Few, my firsthand experience with the game reveals that Compulsion has crafted a remarkable piece of art.
After an initial preview earlier this year, I was left intrigued by South of Midnight. While a few of my earlier critiques remain, the game’s strengths have only become more pronounced. Spanning 10 to 12 hours of playtime, the game is filled with exploration opportunities, enchanting landscapes, and touching narratives.
Having spent more than a dozen hours playing across PC and Xbox Series X, I feel well-equipped to share my insights on South of Midnight. I’ve kept spoiler levels to a minimum, focusing only on early campaign events that are already referenced in game trailers and store descriptions.
South of Midnight: A Unique Narrative
South of Midnight unfolds like an enchanting fairy tale, brimming with elements of magic, quests, and fantastical beings. The loading screens are designed as pages of a storybook, immersing players in the journey. However, this is not merely a light-hearted fairy tale; it tackles serious themes concerning trauma, lost souls, and complex histories.
The protagonist, Hazel, embarks on a quest to find her mother, who went missing during a devastating flash flood. The game transitions quickly from a modern setting to a fantastical realm where Hazel discovers her innate power of Weaving, which allows her to mend spirits and engage with the world’s peculiar lore. This journey introduces quirky characters, including a giant, communicative catfish who aids Hazel, and the narrative only grows more captivating from there.
Each chapter of South of Midnight delves into the stories of various individuals, including beings touched by trauma, as Hazel endeavors to heal their emotional wounds. Themes concerning bullying, child maltreatment, and animal cruelty resonate throughout the gameplay, reminiscent of narratives seen in Double Fine’s Psychonauts series.
The diverse environments Hazel traverses serve as engaging playgrounds, allowing her to utilize her platforming skills effectively. Mechanics such as double jumps, wall-running, and glides create an enjoyable gameplay experience. While the primary path is relatively straightforward, it’s the side quests and environmental puzzles that inject some challenge into the mix.
While the main paths are easily navigable, the side challenges provide an opportunity for deeper exploration, rewarding players with combat upgrades and lore. Hazel’s ability to summon a childhood toy to access smaller areas and solve puzzles adds a whimsical touch, albeit it occasionally disrupts the game’s dynamic tempo.
Utilizing a Dead Space-inspired objective marker, the game facilitates mission pathfinding, which is beneficial for exploring hidden corners. Completionists will appreciate the tracking feature for collected materials displayed in the pause menu.
While exploration and puzzle-solving dominate the gameplay, South of Midnight features combat arenas that introduce an element of challenge. Dubbed “beating the trauma out of you, ”these combat sections introduce inky enemies with varied attack styles. Though engaging, the combat mechanics may feel somewhat average compared to the rest of the game’s innovative experiences.
Engaging Combat Mechanics
Throughout the chapters, Hazel faces off against adversaries that boast an array of melee and ranged attacks. Utilizing her Weaving powers, she can manipulate enemies and execute area-based charge attacks, albeit with significant cooldown periods. This results in a combat system that often devolves into dodging and counterattacking.
While functional, the combat fails to match the game’s otherwise exceptional qualities, leading to moments of tedium, particularly towards the latter chapters. Expanding combat areas or enhancing mechanics to integrate platforming elements would have added depth to the encounters.
Progressing difficulty levels do little to alleviate the monotony of recurring arena battles, where spawn rates can become tiresome. The standard formula might deliver an adequate experience, but it contrasts with the game’s unique storytelling and visual prowess.
Boss battles, though infrequent, provide a refreshing twist, allowing Hazel to leverage her traversal skills. Despite their larger health pools, these confrontations rarely fall into the same repetitive patterns as standard enemy encounters.
South of Midnight also prioritizes accessibility by offering an option to skip combat, catering to players who may not want that aspect. However, I recommend reducing combat difficulty instead of bypassing, unless specifically required for accessibility reasons.
Stellar Audio-Visual Experience
The audio direction in South of Midnight stands as one of the finest I’ve encountered in recent gaming history. From the exceptional voice acting to the captivating environmental sounds, the soundtrack brilliantly complements the gameplay. Developer-defined genres of “soulful blues” and “lively honky-tonk” echo throughout the chapters, perfectly adapting to the unfolding narrative.
The climax of each story arc leads to a harmonious explosion of vocals, underscoring pivotal moments in the gameplay. Additionally, an innovative audio setting allows players to disable main vocals, creating a uniquely immersive experience.
The incorporation of whispers and voices, serving as companions throughout Hazel’s journey, enriches the gameplay experience. This subtle direction contrasts sharply with the conventional pinging systems often employed in games today.
Visually, South of Midnight is nothing short of breathtaking. Players navigate through various lush environments, with flooded biomes interspersed among vibrant forests. The devastation from the flood is reflected in derelict remnants of civilization seamlessly integrated into nature’s reclamation.
The artistry shines brightest in motion, as the rich details within the landscapes enhance immersion. Despite certain limitations of embedded screenshots, the game is undeniably visually stunning when experienced firsthand.
The animation quality reflects the meticulous craftsmanship that the developers at Compulsion Games have put into South of Midnight. Although the stop-motion effect applied to character animations may initially appear jarring, players can disable it if preferred. However, for those who appreciate the unique aesthetic, it enhances the overall charm of the title, creating a fairy tale-like atmosphere.
Running the game on my PC with an RTX 3060 and Ryzen 7 5800H CPU at 1440p, I maintained solid performance under most conditions though environmental complexity occasionally hindered frame rates. The Xbox Series X version also performed commendably at 60 FPS, reinforcing the game’s stable technical execution.
Final Thoughts
Whether Compulsion continues to focus on themes of Southern folklore in future projects remains to be seen. However, their ability to deliver high-quality gaming experiences is reassuring, regardless of the setting.
South of Midnight captivates with its stunning visuals, engaging audio design, and compelling characterization. The narrative’s thoughtful exploration of individual trauma adds an emotional depth akin to the Psychonauts series, albeit through a fantastical lens. The only shortcoming lies with the repetitive combat mechanics, which may detract from the overall experience.
Despite some inconsistencies, South of Midnight is definitely a title worth exploring. Compulsion Games has skillfully woven a world full of enchantment, disguising deeper emotional struggles beneath the surface. With its captivating characters and beautiful artistry, it’s a game that’s hard to resist.
Mark your calendars for April 8, 2025, when South of Midnight will be available on PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store, as well as on Xbox Series X|S, all priced at $39.99. Players with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate can also access the game on launch day. Those opting for the Premium Edition will have the chance to start playing five days early, beginning April 3, 2025.
This review of South of Midnight on PC and Xbox Series X utilized pre-release copies graciously provided by Microsoft.
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